• Transportation

    Old Farm Truck?

    Needs Fixing

    In the past I was never too excited about including signs of man in my nature photographs. I would work hard at making sure there were no signs of man in any of the images. Those telephone poles, houses, automobiles, fences all had to go. But as I’ve moved along in my photography, that has changed. Some of that change has been the expansion of my photographers eye and some of that change has been influenced by my travels.

    I’m given opportunities to spend short periods of time in cities while on some overnights. With no vehicle, I’m mostly limited to explore the area around the hotels, so the work of man has become more prevalent in my images. I like how my vision has expanded. That expansion has allowed me to see much more around me. I now have images where including a farm within an image transformed a simple sunrise into an image that told more of a story about life. I also have images of old trucks, tractors, silos, and corrals that tell a story. While looking for images one early morning I discovered this old abandoned truck. For me it conjured up questions of a life from the past. Who first owned the truck? Was it a farm truck? How long was it used? What happened to the headlights?

  • flowers,  Plants

    Enjoying Her Garden

    Iris Leaves

    My sister, Sheree, has been spending a lot of time and effort in her yard over the past 2-3 years. Her garden therapy session includes learning about the many plants available then putting them in and nurturing them (yes, she talks to them.)  But through this process, her garden sanctuary is developing. As a visitor I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying her garden, checking on each new plant as it breaks through the soil sending shoots into the sunlight, grabbing my journal and lounging in one of her Adirondack chairs. While sitting on her bench along the east side of her house I noticed the  back lit sun against the Iris leaves. First a smile of pleasure, enjoying the light, then grabbing the camera to take a photo. And, Happy Mothers Day to all the mothers in my life: mom, Chris, Monica, Marcee and Sheree!

  • clouds,  landscape

    It Was the Clouds

    Simply Clouds

    The open spaces along the plains have such simplicity to them. Simplicity is one of the main components of a good photograph. The simpler the image, the easier it is for the viewer to focus on the subject and appreciate it. Cluttered images and backgrounds are less visually appealing, even though I have my share archived on my hard drive. Cluttered images and backgrounds are also more likely to cause the subject and lesser objects to confuse each other visually. In the above image I asked myself what is my subject? I see three subjects calling out, the clouds, the grassland and the brush on the horizon. When I reflect back on the moment of decision to raise my camera to my eye and pressed the shutter, “it was the clouds” that I was focused on. I hope everyone has an Awesome weekend!

  • landscape,  People/Portraits,  Self-portraits,  sunrises

    I Like Mornings

    Rising Sun at Dyekman Reservoir

    … or at least most mornings. I can honestly say mornings are a wonderful time for me. Mornings are a time when I first wake up and give thanks for the nights rest and prepare for the coming day. I must admit there have been mornings when too much partying the night before did not allow the mornings to be refreshing. I’m grateful those hangover days are over.

    There are those who do not like early mornings. Some are just getting home or going to bed when the sun is coming up. That’s not how I move through this life. For me crawling out of a warm bed and grabbing my camera equipment and heading out the door has a healing effect on me. There is always excitement in not knowing exactly what nature will offer, what images will be on my hard drive later in the day. Maybe it’s a golden cloudless sunrise reflecting in a small pond.

  • Canon Powershot G12,  Cityscapes/Urban,  Documentary/Street

    Risky Work

    Window Washing

    As a flight attendant we usually cruise at an altitude from 25,000 to 36,000 feet. The office view from this tubicle is far better than the view from any of the cubicles I’ve worked in the past. However, I must admit to having a fear of heights. Let me explain. When standing on a second story balcony you will find me tightly gripping the guard rail. Yet, I do not have any problem looking out the window of an aircraft at 32,000 feet. So, while on a walk I noticed these two window washers as they swung back and forth to clean these windows. Sorry, but not me!

  • Canon Powershot G12,  Cityscapes/Urban

    Another Walk

    Another Walk

    On one of my walks around our hotel I found this replica of the Washington Monument in a small park called Oronoco Bay Park located along the Potomac River. I enjoyed my walk and took the time to sit on one of the many benches along the walking trail to watch the aircraft landing from the south at Reagan National Airport. I found a nice Thai restaurant called Thailand on Royal Street on my way back to the hotel. I tried something different called Fiery Basil (Kaprow). Not bad and no wonder my pants fit tight!

  • animals

    Sunbathing

    Willow

    I was doing somethings on my laptop in the lounging chair and happened to look down to see Willow basking in the morning sun. You know a cat sure has a tough life. 🙂